A multicultural parenting guide-with eye-opening research on the surprising disadvantages lurking in the typical American childhood. Recent bestsellers and media headlines have sparked heated debates about whether American parents are fostering a generation of spoiled underachievers. Taking a new approach to this provocative topic, Parenting Without Bordersweaves compelling research with an engaging personal story to deliver a truly international viewpoint. Christine Gross-Loh (who raised her young children in Japan for several years) explores parenting around the globe to reveal the hidden norms we have about "good parenting." This book takes us to Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Japan, China, Italy and beyond to explore how parents foster resilience, creativity, and learning in their children, from infancy to early adulthood. Revealing the surprising ways in which culture shapes accepted practices, Gross-Loh also offers objective, scholarly insight into the best practices of raising children from around the globe. Fascinating findings include: · Co-sleeping, typical in most of the world's families, may promote independence in kids · "Hover" parenting is unique to Americans and can damage a child's resilience · Finnish children, who rank among the world's highest academic achievers, enjoy multiple recesses a day · So-called universal developmental stages like the "terrible twos" do not exist in some cultures At last bringing empirical research to the debate, Parenting Without Bordersoffers illuminating anecdotes and timeless wisdom for raising a confident and capable generation.